Determination of stratospheric and anthropogenic contributions to enhanced mid-tropospheric O3 in the tropical western Pacific

Daniel C Anderson1, Julie M Nicely1, Ross J Salawitch2, Russell R Dickerson1, Timothy P Canty3, Thomas F Hanisco4, Glenn Wolfe4, Eric C Apel5, Elliot L Atlas6, Teresa Lynn Campos7, Rebecca S Hornbrook8, Douglas Edward Kinnison9, Laura Pan10, William John Randel11, Daniel D Riemer12 and Andrew John Weinheimer13, (1)University of Maryland College Park, College Park, MD, United States, (2)University of Maryland College Park, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, College Park, MD, United States, (3)University of Maryland, College Park, Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science, College Park, United States, (4)NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, United States, (5)National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling, Boulder, United States, (6)University of Miami, Miami, United States, (7)Natl Ctr Atmospheric Research, Boulder, United States, (8)National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling Laboratory, Boulder, United States, (9)NCAR, Boulder, CO, United States, (10)National Center for Atmospheric Research, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations & Modeling, Boulder, United States, (11)National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, CO, United States, (12)University Miami, Miami, FL, United States, (13)NCAR, Atmospheric Chemistry Observations and Modeling Laboratory, Boulder, United States
Abstract:
Tropospheric O3, an important greenhouse gas, is produced both from anthropogenic precursors and transport from the stratosphere. Previous O3 and water vapor observations in the remote tropical Pacific have shown strongly anti-correlated filaments of high O3 and reduced H2O in the mid-troposphere. These filaments were a pervasive feature seen throughout the troposphere during the CONvective TRansport of Active Species in the Tropics (CONTRAST) campaign. While it has been proposed, based on analysis of prior observations, that these filaments result from stratospheric intrusion, lack of concomitant measurement of atmospheric tracers has limited the ability to quantitatively assess the relative roles of pollution and stratospheric intrusions. In addition to O3, H2O, and CO, tracers for biomass burning, fossil fuel emissions, and the stratosphere were also measured during CONTRAST. Preliminary correlation analysis shows not only frequent anti-correlation between O3 and water vapor in the filaments but also correlation between O3 and CO as well as other anthropogenic and pyrogenic tracers. The filaments appear to be a complex mixture of air parcels from different origins. Analysis of these observations, along with results from global chemistry models and back trajectories, will be discussed, focusing on anthropogenic and stratospheric contributions to tropospheric O3.
Back to: Processes Controlling Upper Troposphere / Lower Stratosphere Composition and Structure IV